Memorial Head (Mma)

Unknown

19th–20th century · Terracotta, slip · Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas

In present-day Ghana, terracotta sculptures produced by women have played a central role in Akan funerary rites. Made from humble clay, this head is a commemorative portrait created to honor a departed individual. Molded posthumously, such heads were highly idealized representations that presented the Akan canon of beauty. Distinctive features such as hairdo and cicatrices personalized and individualized the representation. Often honoring rulers or important individuals, such heads were positioned in sacred areas within a cemetery.

Artist

Unknown

Date

19th–20th century

Medium

Terracotta, slip

Culture

Akan peoples

Department

Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas

Credit line

Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Melvin A. Scharfman, 1986